This invention relates to an ice-storing tank for an air conditioner with an ice-storing mode, particularly to one convenient to maintain and repair so as to lessen expenditure for maintenance.
A conventional air conditioner with an ice-storing mode may operate for making and storing ice during an off-peak periods so as to store up freezing capacity of a compressor during the off-peak periods such as nighttime, using ice stored during the day instead of electricity.
Referring to FIG. 9, a conventional air conditioner with an ice-storing tank has an ice-storing tank 20 placed in a room l0 under a basement, which has a steel reinforcing concrete upper wall with a manhole 101 closed with a cap for only a worker to move in and out. As shown in FIGS. 10, 11,12 and 13, the ice-storing tank 20 consists of a temperature preserving tank 30 and two spiral pipe sets 40 placed therein. The spiral pipes sets 40 consist of a first and a second vertical pipes 401, 402, and may spiral empty pipes 403 connected between the first and the seond pipes 401 and 402. Then the two sprial pipe sets 40 have a front side of one abutting on a rear side of the other, respectively spiral-shaped, having inner ends of the two first pipes 401 connected with the two second pipes 402 via two connect pipes 404 so as to communicate the two spiral pipe sets with each other. Then the two second pipes 402 at the other ends of the two spiral pipe sets 40 respectively connected with an extension pipe 405, which extends out of the temperature-preserving tank 30 to function as an inlet 406 and an oulet 407 for freezing liquid (such as briny liquid) to flow in an out. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the temperature-preserving tank 30 consists of a top cap 302 and a cavity 301. The cavity 301 includes a bottom 303 with a layer of temperature-preserving material 304 laid on the bottom 303, an inner tank 305 placed on the bottom 303 with a layer of temperature-preserving material 306 wrapped around the inner tank 305, an aluminum layer 307 overlaid around the temperature-preserving material layer 306. The top cap 302 with a temperature-preserving material layer 308 closing up the upper side of the temperature-preserving tank 30.
Next, the ice-storing tank 20 is commonly placed in the room 10 under a basement, but it is sometimes placed under the ground outside a house or a building, as shown in FIG. 16.
However, the conventional ice-storing tank 20 involves the following drawbacks in using and manufacturing.
1. As the temperature-preserving tank 30 and the spiral pipe sets 40 contained therein have a very large dimension, it is inconvenient to repair or maintain the spiral pipe sets 40 if they need to. They have to be hoisted out of the tank 30, with the concrete upper wall with the manhole 101 firstly having to be removed off. Thus, it takes a large expense and troublesome work. PA1 2. Manufacturing the temperature-preserving tank 30 is very troublesome. PA1 3. The outermost aluminum layer 307 of the tank 30 may erode and become useless, and in addition, the aluminum layer 307 may quickly erode if the ice-storing tank 20 is installed under a basement of a building. So, the conventional ice-storing tank 20 may have a short service life. PA1 4. The aluminum layer 307 has inferior effect in preserving temperature because of good heat transmitting property of aluminum plus inferior sealing function by means of rivets in fixing the aluminum layer 307.